Polling Places

Polling places throughout Orange County expect a record-setting torrent of voters today, and many are bolstering their operations with extra volunteers. These predictions stem from bellwethers like the incredibly large volume of early voters seen in Orange County and historical statistics that indicate more people come out during years in which no incumbent is running for president. As many people voted early during the 10 days before this year’s election at 10 sites as voted in 30 days before the 2004 election at 30 sites.

Huntington Beach state Sen. Tom Harman wants you to vote, but first he wants to see your ID. Harman, who represents Newport Beach and Costa Mesa in the state senate, plans to introduce a bill that would require people to show proof of their identity when they go to the polls. Eighteen states require voters to show ID to cast a ballot, Harman said Monday. People have suspected voter fraud in California, but it's not clear how widespread it is, and it's hard to prove, he said.

-- Lolita Harper Newport-Mesa write-in candidates waging an uphill battle to defeat a controversial Orange County judge found their incline reduced a bit Friday after a court ordered that polling places announce the availability of write-in candidate information. Election officials were ordered to post signs in polling places telling voters they can request a list of all write-in candidates. The ruling gives an advantage to a handful of local judgeship hopefuls, including Costa Mesa Councilwoman Karen Robinson and former Pilot columnist and attorney Gay Sandoval, who have waged a battle to unseat Superior Court Judge Ronald C. Kline and have to rely on voters to remember and then write in their names correctly.

Click on the links below to access your local city governments and schools or read the latest blog commentary . POLITICS Smartvoter.org Orange County Republican Party Orange County Democratic Party Orange County Green Party Orange County Libertarian Party Peace and Freedom Party Orange County Registrar of Voters Polling Places Election Results State of California Voting Results CITY GOVERNMENT Newport Beach Costa Mesa PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS Newport-Mesa Unified School District Harbor Day School Waldorf School Sage Hill High School Catholic Schools COLLEGES Orange Coast College Vanguard University University of Phoenix Whittier Law School CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce

those who did checked 'yes' on ballot. Noaki Schwartz NEWPORT-MESA -- Despite the dismal turnout typical of special elections, most of the voters who ventured to the polls Tuesday appeared to cast their ballots in favor of the school bond. "I hope it passes," said mother Stephanie Williams, who persistently visited three different polling places before finding the one for her district. She was, she said, determined to vote. For months, countless volunteers lobbied residents to vote in favor of the $110-million bond measure intended to repair all 29 of Newport-Mesa's crumbling schools.

Deepa Bharath and June Casagrande Locals took their place in long lines at schools, churches and other polling places Tuesday, a small part of the rush of voters seeking to make their voices heard in Sacramento. "I feel that [Gov.] Gray Davis isn't qualified to be in his position," said Ben Gajek, a Newport Beach resident who cast his recall ballot at Andersen Elementary School on Tuesday morning. "I think he lacks the ability to govern." Voting at Andersen got off to a rocky start Tuesday morning as large numbers of voters flooded the school's multipurpose room.

Alicia Robinson Political activists and poll workers are bracing for a record number of voters they anticipated will swarm polling places today. "I expect it to be just a massive voter turnout," said Teddi Alves, who was working in Orange County Democrats' Huntington Beach campaign office Monday. "People just think this is so critical." The Orange County Democrats' office has been busy helping people who didn't receive voter information, or who don't know where their polling place is, Alves said.

Lolita Harper COSTA MESA -- Unofficial results from a race to unseat an Orange County judge accused of child molestation show both Costa Mesa candidates as top vote-getters but leave a slim chance at the bench for only one. With all precincts counted, preliminary tallies reported this week by the Orange County registrar of voters place local attorney Gay Sandoval -- the first to declare a write-in candidacy -- as...

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa residents will go to the polls Tuesday, selecting two of three state Assembly candidates to move forward to a November runoff as well as deciding two countywide measures. California's open primary creates an unusual situation because voters can send two members of the same political party to face each other in November. Two Republicans, Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) and Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle, are on the ballot with Democrat Bob Rush, a Newport businessman.

Polling places throughout Orange County expect a record-setting torrent of voters today, and many are bolstering their operations with extra volunteers. These predictions stem from bellwethers like the incredibly large volume of early voters seen in Orange County and historical statistics that indicate more people come out during years in which no incumbent is running for president. As many people voted early during the 10 days before this year’s election at 10 sites as voted in 30 days before the 2004 election at 30 sites.

Click on the links below to access your local city governments and schools or read the latest blog commentary . POLITICS Smartvoter.org Orange County Republican Party Orange County Democratic Party Orange County Green Party Orange County Libertarian Party Peace and Freedom Party Orange County Registrar of Voters Polling Places Election Results State of California Voting Results CITY GOVERNMENT Newport Beach Costa Mesa PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS Newport-Mesa Unified School District Harbor Day School Waldorf School Sage Hill High School Catholic Schools COLLEGES Orange Coast College Vanguard University University of Phoenix Whittier Law School CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce

Election officials expected a high turnout at the polls today in Newport Beach. “Turnout is certainly higher every time there is a presidential primary,” said Neal Kelley, of Orange County Registrar of Voters. Based on Newport Beach’s roughly 20,000 permanent mail-in voters, Kelley estimates turnout at about 50-55%. Election officials are advising voters in Newport Beach there could be a 30-minute or more wait at some local polling places during peak voting hours.

COSTA MESA — Arlene Cole settled into a chair at Whittier Law School at 5 a.m. today and prepared to spend most of the next 18 hours there. The Costa Mesa resident was among those signing in voters on Super Tuesday after she and her fellow volunteers devoted Monday to setting up voting booths in a spare room at the school on Harbor Boulevard. She had never volunteered all day for an election before, and she hoped that her stamina would hold up. “You can say it’s exciting, but after the excitement ends, you’re numb,” Cole said.

Huntington Beach state Sen. Tom Harman wants you to vote, but first he wants to see your ID. Harman, who represents Newport Beach and Costa Mesa in the state senate, plans to introduce a bill that would require people to show proof of their identity when they go to the polls. Eighteen states require voters to show ID to cast a ballot, Harman said Monday. People have suspected voter fraud in California, but it's not clear how widespread it is, and it's hard to prove, he said.

Poll workers in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa said Tuesday's election brought out more voters than they remembered in previous years. Despite Costa Mesa candidates' constant debate about illegal immigration in the city, many Eastside residents said they were concerned with state and federal issues such as Proposition 85, which mandates that minors get parental permission before receiving an abortion — and 86, which increases the tax on...

Party activists urge citizens to head to polls for election. Some cast ballots right downstairs. Finding a polling place for today's special election takes nothing more than picking up a telephone or logging onto the Internet. But for some Newport-Mesa residents, fulfilling their civic duties is even simpler than that. All it involves is going downstairs. A variety of residential complexes have again signed up with the Orange County Registrar of Voters to be polling stations, allowing tenants the luxury of voting at home.